A very long and tiring day after a poor night, meeting up with Di's parents and then Roman Znajek of Glisson to further our company pans. Then come campaigning publicity on behalf of Scott Peacock and back to see Dr Thomas about my painful foot who referred me for treatment. Then the evening council and political meetings before to bed and to sleep with Diana
It was another intensive and busy day that left me feeling quite tired and ready for bed at the end of it. I try to cram in so much when back at Paxton that it puts me under great pressure but then I value the time it creates for me in Horning. I started quite groggy after a poor night. All the bedroom windows had been closed last night and I awoke at 3.00am with a headache from the warmth and stuffiness of the room. Della had been up very late and had followed me into bed but I sent her back to her own room and she must be feeling very tired as well as she tackles her school work in Kimbolton and in the evening. I did not do much before leaving for Cambridge with Diana this morning except ask the gardener to investigate the conservatory where the greenfly and blackfly had been running amok.
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Once in the car, I used the cellular telephone as Diana drove and called the Norwich Gestetner suppliers to place the order for the new machine for Glisson Printers Ltd., negotiating the price of the service contract amongst other things. I then telephoned the local newspapers in turn, briefing them on the Scott Peacock campaign and Grand Bazaar and Jumble Sale which I am due to open on Saturday and asking them to give it good coverage before and after the event. They seemed reasonably receptive, and I wait to see what they now do. Then called Roman Znajek to arrange to meet him in Cambridge later to complete the necessary paperwork for the new Glisson. By this time, we had arrived at The Round Church Car Park in Cambridge and so I ceased work and walked up to Eadon Lilley's with Diana to drink our coffee before her parents arrived.
We had much to talk about and spent some time there before Di went off shopping and I walked the mile or so to Sheriden House, Glisson Road, for my meeting with Roman. This was a bit painful in view of my left foot, but it was a small distance and I was trying to keep up an amount of exercise. I stopped off at "Cottage Antiques" on the way and had a look round but saw nothing that I could not live without. Roman arrived by bicycle and we exchanged information and re-drafted the printing machine order document and the call for capital to the members of the consortium. Then I got much of the company registration forms filled in and set off for The Copper Kettle by foot again where Diana was waiting for me. Lunch and then home by car via St Neots to drop in an old pair of my trousers for repair and dry cleaning.
Then a hectic time faxing further information about Scott Peacock to local papers, radio stations and TV channels before I had to rush out to St Neots Doctor's surgery to see Dr Thomas by prior appointment. He examined my foot and I told him about the long-term nature of the problem; first thought to be a verruca and then diagnosed by a chiropodist as a mal-formed bone structure; the corn from which was to be kept at bay by trimming and paring the sole of my foot. Now I just wanted to see an orthopaedic surgeon privately rather than wait the three months for the under-funded National Health Service to respond. He agreed to arrange for me to see Mr Sewell in The Cromwell Clinic, Huntingdon High Street on Thursday 14th November and I was to telephone and make the appointment and he would have the letter of referral ready for me by Friday to collect.
Home to try to settle to some paperwork but then arrived St Neots Trailers who were fitting some securement straps to the new Reliant trailer and I went out to help manoeuvre it and chat to the owner about off-shore cruising; him being the man I first met on a VHF course. Back in for tea and then I went up and washed and changed, being quite dizzy and tired from all the activity for I still had two meetings to attend this evening. No real preparation for the first of them, the HDC Policy Committee where I nevertheless gave a confident contribution to ward off any impression of defensiveness after the Derek Giles affair.
On afterwards to St Ives for the more-important campaign meeting there. There is to be a County Council by-election for St Ives South and I was meeting the County Council group leader and a multitude of other party notables to plan our campaign of action and it was quite impressive. Home late but Diana still up and I went to bed with her; finding time and energy to make a fuss of her as she is normally asleep these days when I retire (or pretending to be so!).